Track lubricating apparatus



Oct. 23, 1934. w. M. GRAY TRACK LUBRICATINGr` APPARATUS INVENTOR BY i/K ATTORNEY Filed March 27, 1951 Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE n 1,978,018 n lTRACK LUBRICATING APPARATUS Wallace M, Gray, Cincinnati, Ohio Application March 27, 1931, SerialNo. 525,709

y14 Claims.

.c My invention relates to improvements in track lubricating apparatus. One of its objects isto ,provide an improved track lubricating apparatus in which the flanges of the car wheels do not normally contact with metal or other parts ofthe lubricant supply or feeding apparatus,` and in which a stili or semi-solid lubricant is fed to `and built into projections or ridges above the lubricant supporting and feedingY apparatusandagainst the side face of the head of the rail in position tolmake contact with the side and throat of they wheel flanges and be thereby taken up and "distributed along the curved or other sections of the rail requiring lubrication. Another object is to provide lubricant supportingand feeding apparatus substantially as `above outlined-in which a yielding lubricant supporting member is provided which is out of contact with normal wheel flanges, but which in the event of being engaged by the abnormally.

deep anges of worn car wheels, or byother downwardly extending vmember, is enabled to yield and move downwardly `out of the path of .such abnormal wheel ange or vother obstruction and thereby avoid injury to either the lubricating apparatus or the wheel flange, and in which the downwardly moving lubricating member will automatically return -to normal position and function in its usual manner.` Another object is to providefor the convenient and *reliable support and application `of the, lubricating apparatus and its components relative to the rail.

Another object is to provide apparatus adapted to apply lubricant to the side of the rail `head and throat of the wheel anges with a minimum amount of splashing of `lubricant to other localities, particularly by the passage of trains at high ratesv Vof speed. My` invention also comprises certain details of `form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will befully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa section of railway rail with my improved track lubricating apparatus applied thereto.

"Fig 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. t

Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3. c

Heretofore the car wheel flanges were arranged to strike metal ytcimetal some part of the track lubricating apparatus to feed or distribute the lubricant to the desired locality. Where the trains are moving at high rates of speed one type of apparatus has best served the purpose of applying lubricant to the rails, while with `the trains traveling at relatively slower rates of speed, apparatus of another type has best served the purpose, and in either` type the frequent contact of the wheel flanges, metal to metal with lubricant (o1. isi- 3) members, has developed objections. Changes in weather conditions and temperatures also have important influences upon the operation of the lubricating apparatus. My present apparatus obviates frequent metal to metal contacts, and many of the objectionablefeatures of apparatus heretofore employed for track lubrication.

The accompanying drawing illustrates oneenibodiment of myinvention inwhich 16 represents a section of railway rail, to which is rigidly attached a cast housing member 17, by means of a series of bolts 18 passed through perforations in the web 19 of the rail and secured in place by means of nuts 20. The housing member 17 has a detachable front plate` 21 attached thereto by means of bolts 22. The housing 17 has aledge 23 and the plate 21 has a similar ledge 24, which face each other with an intervening channel. An inverted U-shaped channel bar 25 is seated in thechannel between the ledges 23 and 24, and has laterally extending ribs 26 and 27, which extend beneath the ledges 23 and 24 and limit the movement upwardly of the channel bar 25. The channel bar` 25 is resilientlysupported in position with the ribs 26 and l27 normally engaging the` ledges 23 and 24 by means of a series of mushroom shaped spring actuated plungers'28, the stems 29 of which are supported and move vertically within the bores of cylindrical projections 30 attached tothe housing member 17.` Coiled springs 31 encircle the projections BOand bear at their lower ends against the housing member 17, and at their upper ends against the under faces of the plunger heads 28. The upper face of the channel bar 25 is out of the path of normally positioned car wheeliianges but may be engaged and depressed by the deeper flanges of worn car wheels.

A main lubricant conduit 32 extends nearly the entire length of the housing member 17 and is provided with branch lubricant conduits 33 adapted to direct lubricant to position above the channel bar 25, and close to the side face of the rail head, where the lubricant, being preferably of high viscosity and semi-solid builds itself up in a continuous ridge or series of short ridges along the side face of the rail head and between thel rail head and the crown ofthe `channel bar 25, as

shown in Fig. 4 where it is in position to be contacted with by the wheel anges 42 of passing car wheels in such manner as to crowd the lubricant against the side face of the rail head and cause the lubricant to reach thethroat of the wheel` flange, from which position the lubricant is Vdistributed by the wheel flanges along the upper portion of the sideof the rail head as far as the curve in the rail extends. The upper face of the housing member 17 is low enough to beout of the path of any car wheel flange, and the crown of the channel bar 25 is low enough so as to be out of the path of any normal car wheel flange, and free to yield downwardly if engaged by the flange of a worn car wheel. Thus practically all of the car wheel flanges pass along the rail and press the lubricant against the side face of the rail head causing the lubricant to reach the throat of the flange and have lubricant applied to the throat thereof without a metal to metal con-v tact between the car wheel flanges and the channel bar 25 or other portion of the lubricant distribution apparatus.

Lubricant is fed into the main lubricant conduit 32 through a flexible conduit 40, leading from any suitable lubricant pump or other lubricant feeding apparatus, as for instance an intermittently actuated lubricant pump located beneath the rail or in position to be actuated by the rhythmatic vertical movement of the rail due to :the passage of rolling stock along said rails.

v The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of rails in position to distribute and build up a body of semi-solid lubricant along one side face of the rail headin position for said lubricant to be en gaged by the flanges of passing car wheels and distributed thereby along the side face of the rail, said supporting and distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the anges of normal car wheels.

2. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of rails in position to distribute and build up a body of semi-solid lubricant resting against one side face of the rail head and upon said supporting and distributing member in position for said lubricant to be engaged by the flanges of passing car wheels and fed thereby to the upper limits of the side face of the rail head' and t-o the throat of the flange and thence distributed, by the flanges along the side face of the rail, said supporting and distributing member being out of contact with the flanges of normal car wheels.

3. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member provided with a lubricant supply conduit supported rigidly relative to a rail in position to distribute and build up a body of semi-solid lubricant along one side face of the rail head and upon saidsupporting and distributing member in position for said lubricant to be engaged between the side face of the rail head and the flanges of passing car wheels and forced thereby to the upper limits of the side face of the rail head and to the throat of the flanges and thence distributed by the flanges along the side face of the rail, said supporting and distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the anges of normal car wheels.

4. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member provided with a lubricant supply conduit supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of rails in position to distribute and build up a body of semi-solid pressure-fed lubricant along one side face of the rail head and upon said supporting and distributing member in position for said lubricant to be engaged between the side face of the rail head and the flanges of passing car wheels and forced thereby to the upper limits of the Side face of the rail head and to the throat of the flanges and thence distributed by the iianges along the side face of the rail, said supporting and distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the anges of normal car wheel.

5. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member provided with a lubricant supply conduit supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of rails in position to distribute and build up a body of semi-solid pressure-fed lubricant along one side face of the rail head and upon said supporting and distributing member in position for said lubricant to be engaged between the side face of the rail head and the flanges of passing car Wheels and forced thereby to the upper limits of the side face of the rail head and to the throat of the flanges and thence distributed by the flanges ,l

along the side face of the rail, and a resiliently supported and downwardly movable lubricant supporting floor section, forming part of said supporting and distributing member, said stationary and downwardly movable portions of said supporting and distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the ilanges of normalcar wheels.

6. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member supported rigidly relative to a rail, said supporting member having a lubricant supporting ledge extending outwardly vfrom the lower portion of the side face of the head of the rail to which said supporting member is attached and out of the path of travel of passing car wheel flanges, a main lubricant channel substantially parallel to the rail, and lateral upwardly directed branch lubricant conduits adapted to discharge and build up lubricant upon said ledge and against the side t ics ilo

supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of p rails, said supporting member having a lubril-'- cant supporting ledge extending outwardly from the` lower portion of the side face of the head of the rail to which said supporting member is attached and out of the path of travel of passing car wheel flanges. a main lubricant channel if porting member said vertically movable ledge.,

section being located adjacent to said stationary ledge section in spaced relationship with the rail head.

8. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member/ comprising a rigidly mounted section and a resiliently mounted section, said rigidly mounted section being rigidly attached to a rail and provided with a stationary lubricant supporting ledge extending outwardly from the lower portion of the side face of the head of the rail and a lubri- 5'" cant supply conduit having lubricant discharge ports upwardly through said stationary ledge section to build up a body of lubricant upon said stationary ledge section and against the side face of the rail, and said resiliently mounted section 9. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a` lubricant sup-porting and distributing member supported rigidly relative to one of a pair of rails, said supporting member having a lubricant supporting ledge extending outwardly from the lower lportion of the side face of the head of the rail to which said supporting member is attached and out of the path of travel of passing car wheel flanges, a main lubricant channel substantially parallel to the rail, and lateral upwardly directed branch lubricant conduits adapted to discharge and build up lubricant upon said ledge and against the side face of the rail head in position to contact with the sides and throats of passing car wheel flanges, and a vertically movable ledge section vertically movable relative to said lubricant supporting member said vertically movable ledge section being located adjacent to said stationary ledge section in spaced relationship with the rail head.

10. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant supporting and distributing member comprising a rigidly mounted section and a resiliently mounted section, said rigidly mounted section being rigidly attached to a rail and provided with a stationary lubricant supporting ledge extending outwardly from the lower portion of the side face of the head of the rail and a lubricant supply conduit having lubricant discharge ports upwardly through. said stationary ledge section to build up a body of lubricant upon said stationary ledge section and against the side face of the rail, and said resiliently mounted section being supported outside of said rigidly mounted section and ledge and projecting above the face of said stationary ledge section to assist in retaining the lubricant in position upon said stationary ledge section and in contact with the side face of the rail head.

11. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a longitudinal lubricant supporting and distributing member including a lubricant supply conduit, means for mounting said member stationarily and in close proximity with one of a pair of rails, in position to support and build up a body of semiuid pressure-fed lubricant along one side face of the rail head for said lubricant to be engaged between the side face of the rail head and the flanges of passing car wheels, the lubricant being forced thereby to the upper limits of the side face of the rail head and to the throat of the flanges and thence distributed by the flanges along the side face of the rail, a resilient longitudinal lubricant supporting floor section substantially coextensive with the said stationarily supported member and extending slightly above said stationarily supported member in close p roximity therewith alongside the rail head to form a longitudinal trough for lubricant adjacent to the side face of the rail, said stationary and resilient parts being below and out of contacting position with the anges of normal car wheels.

12. Track lubricating apparatus comprising in combination, a longitudinal housing member including a main lubricant conduit to be supplied with lubricant under pressure, an upper portion on said member having branch conduit means in iiuid communication with the main lubricant conduit, means fixing said longitudinal housing member along the gauge side of a railway rail in substantial parallelism therewith and with said upper portion disposed substantially beneath the rail head and the branch conduit means directed outwardly below the adjacent side face of the rail head, a longitudinal resilient lubricant supporting member substantially coextensive in length with said housing member and means for mounting the resilient member in parallelism with and adjacent to the rail head side and to the upper portion of the longitudinal housing member, to support lubricant ejected thereon by the branch conduit means, said resilient member being below and out of contacting relationship with the flanges of normal car wheels passing along the rail, and an upwardly and outwardly inclined top portion on the longitudinal resilient lubricant supporting member, adjacent to the rail head, providing with the rail head a trough for holding lubricant and urging said lubricant to gravitate toward the rail head.

13. Track lubricating apparatus comprising in combination, a longitudinal housing member including a main lubricant conduit to be supplied with lubricant under pressure, an upper portion on said member having branch conduit means in iluid communication with the main lubricant conduit, means xing said longitudinal housing member along the gauge side of a railway rail in substantial parallelism therewith and with said upper portion disposed substantially beneath the rail head and the branch conduit means directed outwardly below the adjacent side face of the rail.

head, a longitudinal resilient lubricant supporting member substantially coextensive in length with said housing member and means for mounting the resilient member in parallelism with and adjacent to the rail head side and to the upper portion of the longitudinal housing member, to support lubricant ejected thereon by the branch conduit means, said resilient member being below and out of contacting relationship with the flanges of normal car wheels passing along the rail.

14. Tracking lubricating apparatus comprising in combination, alongitudinalhousing memberincluding amain lubricant conduittobe suppliedwith lubricant under pressure, an upper portion on said member having branch conduit means in fluid communication with the main lubricant conduit, means fixing said longitudinal housing member along the gauge side of a railway rail in substantial parallelism therewith and with said upper portion -disposed substantially beneath the rail head and the branch condiut means directed outwardly below the adjacent side face of the rail head, a longitudinal resilient lubricant supporting member substantially coextensive in length with said housing member andV means for mounting the resilient member in parallelism with and adjacent to the rail head side and to the upper portion of the longitudinal member, to support lubricant ejected thereon by the branch conduit means, and an upwardly and outwardly inclined top portion on the longitudinal resilient lubricant supporting member, adjacent to the rail head, providing with the rail head a trough for holding and urging said lubricant to gravitate toward the rail head.

WALLACE M. GRAY. 

